Just received this email regarding Crocodile River. If a responsible someone could contact me regarding his email, I'll send you Georges contact details.
I did search the forum and could not find any thread about the area being closed!?
Anyhow if you can help George out, please contact me.
Thanks,
Justin

Hi,
My name is George Reyneke and I read your remark about the crags along the crocodile river being closed. I am the new tenant and have a rental agreement in place with Necsa.

Apparently there were three different climbs on the site and I would appreciate if you guys could put me in contact with somebody who knows them or helped develop them.(I believe one was named Hiroshima). All three will immediately reopen once I have your expert opinion on safety.

"We had a meeting with George Reineke who is the new lessee of the properties surrounding Pelindaba. In a nutshell he is keen to have all adventure type sports taking place on the property and hence is keen for the climbing to happen. So the climbing is officially open again. The new arrangement is for everyone going there to pay R20pp. (this is one of the reasons for the delay, because I am not actually sure where we have to pay it, but I assume to guard at the one gate.)

Andrew Porter is busy putting together a new route guide for crags in Gauteng which will include all the latest info. – not quite sure when this is coming out, but it should be fairly soon.

For info in the meantime,people to contact me. I know Andrew is off to Kenya (work) at the moment".

Nah, one shouldn't easily assume things. By this type of assumption - because one doesn't pay anything to climb at Montagu, should one assume the crags there are really short, bad rock, badly bolted and really not worth visiting?

First one, as you walk in on the left gets nice afternoon sun. Maybe 6/7 short routes, 3 - 6 bolts I think. Some loose rock here, please watch out.

Second one (Nagasaki apparently?) has nice long routes, not 30m but maybe 12 bolts on most, routes not in Rory and Andrew's book, but goes like this, left to right:

Magglett run in Takkies (14)
Visions on Nuclear Doom (12) - this route has the name on the bottom.
Not for chicks (15) - good looking left facing face on open book
Ignore the first 10cm (19?) - shares the first bolt with Grey Imports, don't go left after roof, biggish loose block there
Grey Imports (17)
No rope as long as time (19)
Illuminati (16)
Fabricated Emotions (21)
Danger of Implosion (20) - indicated as IP in the guide
Slave to the West (19) (the most right hand route on the crag)

3rd Crag is all trad according to the book, but haven't been.

Cool place to spend a day, not as good or varied as Bronkies, but closer to JHB and 5mins from Harties.

Does anyone know where to contact Andrew Porter, maybe I can add the rest of the routes not mentioned here onto the wiki?

If you want to update Wiki, please do so. Here is the latest update I have, including a better description of the routes as well as the first ascent details.

Regards,
Andrew Porter

RADIOACTIVE CRAG
Ground Zero
From the entrance gate, follow the main road down towards the river. Keep right at the split in the road and drive into the main recreational area. The crag lies to your right.

CHAIN REACTION 16 *** [N]
Facing the crag walk toward its left side, up on the ledge you will walk through some bushes. Keep an eye out for an obvious corner crack with a bit of a face on its left. Climb this crack for about 30m to a large ledge with a good belay.

First ascent: 2003 Rory Lowther, Chris Rudolph and Tammy Viljoen.

CHINA SYNDROME 14 [N]
1. 35m Above the right-most braai on the left side of the crag there is a clean right-facing corner with a hand-size crack, and a well-defined chimney above and slightly left. Climb the corner/crack until it becomes possible to step left around the arête onto a ramping series of ledges, leading up to the chimney. Climb the chimney easily to stance at a huge tree right at the top. Descend by walking to the climber’s left until a grassy slope leads easily down.
First ascent: 30 Nov 2003 Dylan Morgan and Karin King.

CLOUD OF FEAR 15 ** [N]
Round about the center of the crag there is an broken crack heading rightward, follow this over a ledge and you will see an prominent vertical crack about 15m long, climb this to a ledge at about 37m off ground.

First ascent: 2003 Rory Lowther, Chris Rudolph and Tammy Viljoen.

NUKED BABOON 16 *** [N]
10m to the right of CLOUD OF FEAR, just to the left of and extruding arête. Start just below a thin crack which is about 6m of the ground, climb towards it then over a ledge and follow the arête above a dead tree up to a big ledge with medium size tree at 25m off ground to belay off.

First ascent: 2003 Rory Lowther and Rance McIntyre.

ATOM AND EVE 14 *** [N]
On the right side of the crag, behind the men’s side of the toilets you will see a large flake with wide crack and face on its left. Climb this crack and then move out right onto the face above keep climbing to stance on the edge of the large ramp 30m off ground.

First ascent: 2003 Rory Lowther, Tammy Viljoen

HALF-LIFE 14 [N]
1. 15m Ten metres to the right of the bridge near the pool, three right-facing corners are just visible from the ground. The left is heavily vegetated, and the right is poorly defined. This leaves the middle to be climbed, with a thought-provoking move to top out directly, thankfully just above a good tree runner. Belay from slung bushes and a tree. Descend by moving 30m climber’s left until a gully can be scrambled down. FA
First ascent: 30 Nov 2003 Dylan Morgan and Karin King.

Hiroshima Crag
From the entrance gate, drive along the tar road for about 200m, then turn left onto a dirt road. Take the first right and follow the road until a point where the road splits into 3. There is a sign here ‘Starting Point’. Take the leftmost track and wind your way for about 500m down to the river. This track is narrow and if you are worried about scratching the paint of your car, it is suggested that you walk this section, parking at the split in the roads. As you approach the river, just after a section of scree to you left, you will see the Hiroshima crag to your left. There is a white square piece of metal 1m x 1m at the base of the crag in its centre.

As for Hiroshima, but follow the good path /road for 100m more, then around a corner heading rightward. You are now just above the river bank. Follow this for a 100m where you will see the crag on your right.

MAGGLET RUNS IN TAKKIES 14 *** [8D]
Start around the arête from VISIONS OF NUCLEAR DOOM below a roof 5m up. Stem the recess, move left through the break, and then climb the pleasant face above to chains.
First ascent: Peter Adrian BB: Peter Adrian and Roland Magg.

VISIONS OF NUCLEAR DOOM 12 *** [8D]
Starts 5m right of MAGGLET RUNS IN TAKKIES. This is the only climb at the crag to have its name written on the rock at the base of the route. Climb the crack just right of the arête. A little steep at the top – go for it!
First ascent: Diane Avranitakis BB: Peter Adrian.

NOT FOR CHICKS 15+ ** [9D]
5m right of VISIONS OF NUCLEAR DOOM, in the corner where the block juts out from the main crag. Crank your way to the top of the face, when it feels like grade 19, exit left.
First ascent: Marc Echstein BB: Peter Adrian and Nicholas Grech-Cumbo.

EASY PEASY PROTON PIE 13* [N]
The first route on the main face, next to NOT FOR CHICKS. Start in the corner, and climb a series of ledges to a wide recess, with a crack in the middle. Climb the crack to the top with tree belay. Beware of loose rocks at the top.
First ascent: Peter Adrian and Nicholas Grech-Cumbo.

IGNORE THE FIRST 10CM 19 * [10D]
Clips the first bolt of GREY IMPORTS then moves left up the face, up through two overhangs, and finishes on easier rock at the top. The name refers to the first 10cm of glue that flows from the Fischer glue gun, which leads to boltless holes near the top.
First ascent: Peter Holdt BB: Peter Adrian and Roland Magg.

GREY IMPORTS 17 [12D]
Climbs a grey face a few meters left of NO ROPE AS LONG AS TIME, then move right, through a break, onto easier rock.
First ascent: Roland Magg.

NO ROPE AS LONG AS TIME 19 [6D]
Climbs a crack system about 3m left of the PARTICLE ACCELERATOR chimney.
First ascent: Roland Magg

PARTICLE ACCELERATOR 14 *** [N]
In the middle of the crag is an obvious chimney, climb this for 30m to a stance below a medium sized tree at the top of the crag.
First ascent: 2003 Rory Lowther and Rance McIntyre.

ILLUMINATI 16 *** [9D]
Climbs the crack line 2m right of the PARTICLE ACCELERATOR chimney.
First ascent: Roland Magg

FABRICATED EMOTIONS 21 *** [10D]
Start up a thin face with technical climbing up a shallow break. Pull through the triangular roof above on the right and climb to top.
First ascent: Roland Magg

DANGER OF IMPLOSION 20 *** [9D]
Starts 2m left of SLAVE TO THE WEST. Thin face moves take you past the first 4 bolts to reach a good ledge. Climb the face right of the tree and then pull through the roof on the right hand side of the arête.
First ascent: 2003 Rory Lowther,

SLAVE TO THE WEST 19 ** [9D]
Start 5m left of a small left facing corner at ground level. Climb the orange face above to the ledge. Continue up steep rock to the top.
First ascent: Roland Magg

The Ground Zero crag (the all trad bit), as well as Nagasaki (where the longer bolted routes are), both face directly south, so I'd say morning and afternoon shade with sun at midday (during summer at least). Probably a lot more shade during winter obviously.

I've added these maps to the wiki which would make getting to the crags a bit more straightforward.

They are still accessible but the last time I was there it was really over grown and the quality of the climbing has deteriorated quite a lot. The rock was quite brittle and slimy with loads of lichen covering the rocks. The crag is fairly close (half an hour or so) from PTA if you take the highway but I'd rather drive the extra 15 minutes or so that it takes to get to Chosspile which has far more climbs, better quality rock, and better all round exposure.

Quick question, does anyone have an actual location that one could navigate to (like Crocodile river resort for example). The map topo's are great however I have no reference point to get to that road.

Sup
To the people going to this crag. You are wasting your time. If you drive 10min down the road to chosspile, you will not only be climbing in a safer area on better quality rock, your climbing experience will be much more enjoyable. The rock at the radioactive crag is heavily metamorphosed shale, to make it easier lets look past that fact and call it "slate". Climbing on "slate" is not only less pleasurable than sandstone, but also dangerous as it fractures without warning. People at chosspile put effort into the paths, effort into the quality of line bolted and the chance of being mugged is also way less now that the new system was put into place. Trust this advice or at least go check out chosspile before returning to the radioactive crag. Lastly, the water in the crocodile river is not drinkable. It is just above swimming safety limits.

Sup
To the people going to this crag. You are wasting your time. If you drive 10min down the road to chosspile, you will not only be climbing in a safer area on better quality rock, your climbing experience will be much more enjoyable. The rock at the radioactive crag is heavily metamorphosed shale, to make it easier lets look past that fact and call it "slate". Climbing on "slate" is not only less pleasurable than sandstone, but also dangerous as it fractures without warning. People at chosspile put effort into the paths, effort into the quality of line bolted and the chance of being mugged is also way less now that the new system was put into place. Trust this advice or at least go check out chosspile before returning to the radioactive crag. Lastly, the water in the crocodile river is not drinkable. It is just above swimming safety limits.

Can second that. Just came from that crag today, wanted to try it out with my wife.

Access was 100zar pp, getting to a designated park spot in a guide or noted in wiki is impossible on a normal car, grass and plants are very high there, so we had to park early. Approx 10min walk to Hiroshima which is in wasted condition and +5 more mins to Nagasaki which is in a very bad shape, yet with couple of nice and deceptive routes.